Selected quad for the lemma: work_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	dead_a	faith_n	lively_a	5,187	5	10.6802	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A68568	Ruths recompence: or a commentarie vpon the booke of Ruth wherein is shewed her happy calling out of her owne country and people, into the fellowship and society of the Lords inheritance: her vertuous life and holy carriage amongst them: and then, her reward in Gods mercy, being by an honourable marriage made a mother in Israel: deliuered in seuerall sermons, the briefe summe whereof is now published for the benefit of the Church of God. By Richard Bernard ...	Bernard, Richard, 1568-1641.	1628 (1628)	STC 1962; ESTC S101697	273,649	490

such an one had faire Rebecca Gen. 24. 65. whose modestie may condemne the wanton going of our women who yet come short of Rebecca for beauty I wish also they were not more short of her for honesty The Arabian women yea so the heathen Romane women went couered as doe now the women in Spaine not halfe naked as many harlotries doe now in England to the shame of Religion and disgrace of the Gospell hauing both heathen and Papists to condemne them But what care such for the Gospell which want grace or for Religion which are of none at all and neuer yet had their consciences bound to the obedience thereof but liue as Libertines doing what they list walking after the lust of their owne hearts And when shee held it This implieth some stay till shee had folded it to receiue his kindnesse for he that mindeth truely to doe the poore good can bee content to stay till they can bee ready to receiue it Boaz was not like such as seeme to be willing to giue the poore a penny and yet will be gone before hee can open his purse to change the niggards siluer so they blame his not readinesse to receiue what they onely pretended but neuer from heart intended so lewdly deluding the poore Boaz had shewed her great kindnesse before which shee receiued and now hee offers her this mercy againe which shee refuseth not For it is no vnmannerlinesse nor disgrace to take kindnesse offred of friends though the parties before haue beene chargeable and haue often receiued of their bountie so long as the one sort be able and voluntarily doe giue and the other bee poore and not importunate yet standing in need to receiue for pouerty is a heauie burthen and may iustly make excuse for them And therefore such are not to bee blamed which do not refuse the often offred bounties of friends but indeed such as need not and will bee chargeable to frank-hearted friends such are basely couetous and deserue reproofe rather then to haue their desire Hee measured six measures of Barley Boaz had giuen much before by his seruants now by his owne hand yet not at randome taking out of the heape hee knew not what but he measured that to her which hee gaue her Whence note from his person still giuing vnto Ruth and in her to Naomi that a liberall and mercifull heart is not weary of well-doing Cornelius a good and deuout man gaue daily much almes vnto the poore for his soule delighteth in mercy and workes of charity and desiring to bee rich in good workes as 1. Tim. 6. the Apostle exhorteth These examples let vs imitate and follow wee must not bee wearie of 2. Thes 3. 13. Gal. 6. 9 10. Iam. 2. wel-doing and if we haue faith we will shew forth good workes if it bee liuely and not dead faith They are therefore reproueable who bee wearie of well-doing they would giue once but not often neither at any time much and yet wee beg bread at Gods hands daily and repine if wee haue it not and not onely for the present but for the time to come It is noted of Titus Sueton. Tit. Vespasian that hee thought he had lost that day in which he had not performed some office of beneficence Few Christians think as this Heathen thought for then would our great men giue more and spend lesse vainely that the poore might fare the better Another sort are heere faultie who continue to giue now and then but are loth to encrease their liberality as God encreaseth Deut. 8. 18. Os●a 2. 8. his bounty in mercy towards them for if they grow rich it is hee that giueth them power to get riches The third sort are such as turne their loue wholely to themselues and thinke all little enough for themselues and that through base couetousnesse being neuer satisfied so as they liue of vsurie and oppression getting from others what they can or through an aspyring spirit getting goods to grow great in the world or else of a vaine vnthriftie humour of spending can spare nothing to giue to the poore because his consuming guests which euer lodge with him whoredome drunkennesse pride and loue of play doe keepe him still so bare of money Another lesson may we learne hence frō Boaz his manner of giuing by measure and not hand ouer head as wee say without discretion that Liberality is not lauish of Gods blessings giuing in iudgemēt and not without consideration for euery vertue either is or should be guided with prudence This discretion in Boaz is commendable and they that will consider what they giue before they giue in so doing are not to be reproued And laid it on her See how a willing Giuer doth not onely bestow a benefit but helpeth the party if need be to receiue the same so doth Boaz here and so doth also our gracious God in giuing his blessings to vs. If wee then bee willing to doe a good turne and to bestow a fauour vpon any let vs not bee wanting in any needfull thing to further our owne liberalitie towards them for this will shew that what wee giue wee giue with all our hearts vnto them And she went into the citie Our last Translation is shee went but it should be hee as the Hebrew word will make good and the testimony of the Learned in that tongue both went into the citie Junius Drusius Lauater shee to her mother as the next words in the Story do shew which by reason of the continuation and series of the narration maketh it seeme most likely that shee went into the city as it is commonly translated and he likewise went into the city to dispatch the businesse and to do what hee had promised to Ruth as it is cleare in the next Chapter By thus reading it and by considering how Boaz before could lye downe by the corne but now out of his affection to marry with Ruth can leaue all to finish that businesse wee may learne that loue is impatient of delay and maketh a man to lay aside other cares to enioy his beloued Concerning the force of this affection see it in Samson to the maiden of Timnah in Iacob to Rachel Iud. 14. 2 3. Gen. 29. 20 30. and 34. 3. 8 12 19. and in Sichem to Dinah for loue winneth the whole man and captiuateth his thoughts to the partie beloued as may also be seen in Samsons Iud. 16. 4 16. 2. Sam. 13. 2 4. inordinate loue to Delilah and in Amnon to Tamar Seeing this affection is so strong let vs labour to bridle it that it rule not ouer vs for the world or the flesh and for this end let vs set it vpon better things worthy our loue to the vtmost euen on spirituall and heauenly things vpon Col. 3. 1. Cant. 1. 2 3 7 and 2. 14. Psal 119. Heb. 11. 2. Tim. 4. 8. Christ as the Spouse in the Canticles did and Saint

thine heart Doe we not receiue his blessings with one hand shew our vnmindfulnesse of him by the other If the keeping of his commandement be the marke of our loue as it 1. Iohn 5. 2. is then surely our waxing wanton against him by abusing of his blessings openly proclaime rather hatred than loue vnto him This is our vnthankefulnesse of which we must repent Blessed be hee of the Lord. This is her prayer made to the Lord to blesse him From this note many things I. That Prayer in and by euery true member of the Church hath beene onely made vnto God This the examples of all the godly doe confirme and thus are we commanded to doe and therefore the prayers made to Sants Angels yea or to the Virgin Mary are abominable and cursed idolatry II. That it is the Lord that doth blesse and make happy for what is begged of God that is acknowledged to be his gift And what happinesse corporall or spirituall can man attaine vnto but by the Lord Therefore if we want blessings let vs beg them of him if wee haue them acknowledge him the Authour and be thankfull in cheerefull obedience for the same as wee be exhorted in the Word of God For who can Deut. 10. 12. Rom. 12. 1. think himselfe blessed of God not be thankfull and obedient vnto him but such as be void of all grace III. That the Lord will blesse the mercifull For shee prayeth for that which she had warrant to aske and wee find that the Lord hath so promised Psal 41. 1 3. Mat. 5. 7. to doe And therefore let the mercifull looke for a blessing and let vs pray for that blessing vpon their heads which shew mercy vnto the poore and needy that they may be encouraged in such workes of charitie And to moue them hereto let them consider Gods promise to them how they be vnder Gods protection Deut. 24. 13. how others pray for them when they doe little thinke thereof and doe blesse them as Naomi doth Boaz here and if the poore faile of their duety yet the almesdeed ascendeth vp to God and Act. 10. 4. the worke done shall blesse them euen the backe and belly of the poore Let these things moue Iob 31. 20. the rich to doe workes of mercy and to reioyce therein IV. That the poores reward vnto the rich for their workes of charity is onely their prayer to God for them Naomi had no other recompence for Boaz but this and this is a great requitall when it is a feruent prayer from faith for such the Lord doth heare and will himselfe reward their workes he becomes bound for them to make good what on their behalfe is wanting Which may greatly comfort such as be mercifull And seeing the poore haue nothing else to repay backe but their prayers let them not faile in this not onely when and while the benefit is in receiuing but euen when for time the fauour may seeme to bee forgotten so often as their Benefactors come to their remembrance not to faile to lift vp a thought to God for them Who hath not left off his kindnesse to the liuing and to the dead The reason which moued Naomi to pray so feruently for a blessing vpon Boaz was his constant fauour towards them aliue as before to her husband and children then dead and it is as if Naomi had said He continueth still in his former kindnesse to vs that be now aliue to thee and me which he shewed to my husband and children now departed this life The Papists prattle Feuardentius in hunc locum I know not what of benefiting the dead by workes of charity out of this place by wresting the sense thereof to maintaine their errour which I leaue as idle and vnprofitable and come to more sound and profitable instructions for our selues Hence may we obserue That true loue in good men dyes not with the dead but is shewed to those they leaue behind them as Boaz doth here to Ruth and Naomi for their husbands sake so did Dauid to Mephibosheth for Ionathans sake 2 Sam 9. 1. Prou. 17. 17. 1. Sam. 22. 4. for a true friend loueth at all times Dauid receiued kindnesse of the King of Moab and being dead hee sent to comfort his sonne Hanun if it 2. Sam. 10. 2. had beene so taken For a true friend seeth his friend aliue in his children and posterity Let vs then if we loue one truely not bury our loue with him in his graue as the manner of the world is now which is full of counterfeit loue But let vs imitate our heauenly Father who loued Abraham Isaac and Iacob and their seed after them and promiseth mercy vnto thousands of the posterity Exod. 20. of such as loue him and keepe his commandements This reproueth such which let their loue die with their friends also such as loue their friends posterity if they be rich but not if they be poore as Boaz doth here But true friendship maketh no difference of a friend by riches and pouerty for if this make the difference the friendship is certainely counterfeit Thirdly this condemneth such friends as loue such as remaine of their friends departed so as vnder colour of kindnesse they rob their children committed by the will of their dead friend to their custodie such villanie there is in the world and falsehood masked vnder the shadow of loue Besides instruction here is also matter of cōsolation if we consider how God raiseth vp constant friends to poore posterities though this be rare yet wee haue in this place an example that God is the same in power and mercy to doe the like still for his children but be it that men faile to be faithfull in their loue let vs be comforted in this that the Lord is faithfull if he loue Abraham his friend his posterity in Egypt after foure hundred yeeres shall reape benefit thereby if the Lord chose a Dauid he will for a long time for his sake shew kindnesse to his posterity Let this this I say settle the hearts of carefull parents for their posterity for if the Lord loue them hee will not faile them nor forsake their posterity that shall depend vpon him hee is the sure and constant friend and will not leaue off his kindnesse to the liuing and to the dead as Naomi speaketh heere of Boaz. And Naomi said vnto her The man is neere of kin vnto vs one of our next kinsmen It may seeme by this that before now Naomi had not told Ruth of Boaz her rich kinseman but at this present as occasion had now offered it selfe now she telleth her that hee was a very neere kinsman one of her Redeemers which had a right to redeeme the inheritance and so to marry her and to raise vp seed vnto the dead as the Law required and this Deut. 25. Naomi telles her of to shew how naturall affection did in some sort bind him